Historic Mgarr barumbara ‘being destroyed by unknown individual’ - FAA

Parts of the stone fabric of the historic barumbara located in the heart of Mġarr have been removed over the course of several evenings by an unknown individual, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar said.

This illegal activity taking place under the guise of the night sky has resulted in the forced collapse of the back wall of the historic property, the NGO said.

“The destruction of this building by stealth could be related to an on-going development application requesting the complete demolition of the barumbara in order to redevelopment the site into a block of 33 apartments over 5 floors.

The applicant is claiming that the building is in a dilapidated state. If so, the approval of the complete demolition and redevelopment of the site could be more easily attained, however, despite years of neglect, the barumbara is still largely intact and only in need of restoration.”

The barumbara, or pigeon-loft, is a unique vernacular structure testifying to the historic rural development of Mġarr. In fact, residents believe that it is the oldest structure of the village. Given this, the historic, architectural and social significance of this building is unquestionable.

Causing intended damage to a historic building is an act of vandalism and punishable by law, FAA said. “The responsible authorities must put a stop to such condemnable actions immedi- ately and protect this historic vernacular gem before it is destroyed beyond repair and lost forever.”